HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL

Knights top Wolf Pack, 42-27

Vanguard High School's #3 Natrell Jamerson gets past a West Port defensive player during the game against Vanguard at West Port in Ocala, Florida, September 13, 2013.

Cyndi Chambers/Special to the Star Banner

By John PattonCorrespondent

Published: Friday, September 13, 2013 at 11:45 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 1:04 a.m.

Two things were learned from Vanguard's 42-27 victory at West Port on Friday night.

First, the Knights can awake from slumber with suddenness. And second, the Wolf Pack may be winless, but they continue to improve.

Vanguard (2-1) didn't play WPHS in 2011 or '12, but the two seasons prior to that saw the Knights win by a combined score of 85-0. This time, the Wolf Pack made it clear with a 10-play, 77-yard drive that was capped by a 5-yard touchdown run from quarterback Jerall Townsend Jr. to open the contest, that 2013 would tell a different story.

"They got on us quickly," VHS coach Alex Castaneda said. "We were a bit lethargic, and they definitely came out ready to play."

The visitors answered two series later on a middle screen from Adam Robles that Kano Dillon took 43 yards for a score. But that was all Vanguard could muster the entire first half.

West Port, meanwhile, took a 14-7 lead on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Townsend to Drhyromi Maxwell on the first play of the second quarter.

In all, the Wolf Pack outgained the Knights 225-184 and produced 11 first downs to Vanguard's seven by halftime. However, WPHS led just 14-7, and soon after, Vanguard awoke, making plays in all three facets of the game.

The final six minutes of the third period saw Vanguard's Cameron Burton intercept a pass and return it 19 yards to the West Port 22. And on the next snap, Robles scrambled before finding Michael Mitchell in the middle of the end zone to tie the score at 14.

West Port (0-3) then fumbled away the kickoff, and three plays later, Robles ran in from five yards out.

Then, after Mitchell blocked a punt attempt by WPHS, Vanguard scored again. With top two tailbacks Reshard Sweet and Deltron Modican out with injuries, Donte Lerma led the Knights with 10 carries for 61 yards. One of those rushes was a 2-yard plunge with 16.8 second remaining in the third to give Vanguard a 28-14 lead.

"Lerma ran really well," said Castaneda, who added he expects Sweet back next week and Modican perhaps in three weeks.

Despite the disastrous third quarter, West Port didn't fold, cutting the deficit to 28-21 on a 7-yard scoring pass from Townsend to Quandre Woods with 6:29 left in the game.

However, on its next play from scrimmage, Robles found Natrell Jamerson for a 60-yard touchdown.

Again, the Wolf Pack responded, going 80 yards in 93 seconds and ending with a 1-yard touchdown run by Woods, who finished with 140 yards on 18 carries. The snap on the extra point try was high and bobbled and Kyle Haworth was unable to attempt a kick, leaving the score, 35-27.

The Knights tacked on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Robles to Jamerson with 30.2 seconds remaining to cap the scoring.

That final throw made Robles 13-of-28 for 288 yards for the game after finishing the first half just 8-for-21 for 154 yards. And Jamerson, after catching just four balls for 69 yards in the first two quarters, concluded his night with six catches for 156 yards and the two touchdowns.

"We came in kind of flat and underestimated them a little," said Jamerson, who will make his first official college visit, to Old Dominion, this weekend. "But after the second quarter, we really started to get going and it came together for us."

<p>Two things were learned from Vanguard's 42-27 victory at West Port on Friday night.</p><p>First, the Knights can awake from slumber with suddenness. And second, the Wolf Pack may be winless, but they continue to improve.</p><p>Vanguard (2-1) didn't play WPHS in 2011 or '12, but the two seasons prior to that saw the Knights win by a combined score of 85-0. This time, the Wolf Pack made it clear with a 10-play, 77-yard drive that was capped by a 5-yard touchdown run from quarterback Jerall Townsend Jr. to open the contest, that 2013 would tell a different story.</p><p>"They got on us quickly," VHS coach Alex Castaneda said. "We were a bit lethargic, and they definitely came out ready to play."</p><p>The visitors answered two series later on a middle screen from Adam Robles that Kano Dillon took 43 yards for a score. But that was all Vanguard could muster the entire first half.</p><p>West Port, meanwhile, took a 14-7 lead on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Townsend to Drhyromi Maxwell on the first play of the second quarter.</p><p>In all, the Wolf Pack outgained the Knights 225-184 and produced 11 first downs to Vanguard's seven by halftime. However, WPHS led just 14-7, and soon after, Vanguard awoke, making plays in all three facets of the game.</p><p>The final six minutes of the third period saw Vanguard's Cameron Burton intercept a pass and return it 19 yards to the West Port 22. And on the next snap, Robles scrambled before finding Michael Mitchell in the middle of the end zone to tie the score at 14.</p><p>West Port (0-3) then fumbled away the kickoff, and three plays later, Robles ran in from five yards out. </p><p>Then, after Mitchell blocked a punt attempt by WPHS, Vanguard scored again. With top two tailbacks Reshard Sweet and Deltron Modican out with injuries, Donte Lerma led the Knights with 10 carries for 61 yards. One of those rushes was a 2-yard plunge with 16.8 second remaining in the third to give Vanguard a 28-14 lead.</p><p>"Lerma ran really well," said Castaneda, who added he expects Sweet back next week and Modican perhaps in three weeks.</p><p>Despite the disastrous third quarter, West Port didn't fold, cutting the deficit to 28-21 on a 7-yard scoring pass from Townsend to Quandre Woods with 6:29 left in the game.</p><p>However, on its next play from scrimmage, Robles found Natrell Jamerson for a 60-yard touchdown.</p><p>Again, the Wolf Pack responded, going 80 yards in 93 seconds and ending with a 1-yard touchdown run by Woods, who finished with 140 yards on 18 carries. The snap on the extra point try was high and bobbled and Kyle Haworth was unable to attempt a kick, leaving the score, 35-27.</p><p>The Knights tacked on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Robles to Jamerson with 30.2 seconds remaining to cap the scoring.</p><p>That final throw made Robles 13-of-28 for 288 yards for the game after finishing the first half just 8-for-21 for 154 yards. And Jamerson, after catching just four balls for 69 yards in the first two quarters, concluded his night with six catches for 156 yards and the two touchdowns.</p><p>"We came in kind of flat and underestimated them a little," said Jamerson, who will make his first official college visit, to Old Dominion, this weekend. "But after the second quarter, we really started to get going and it came together for us."</p>